Ideas for Easter – Improvements Style

I was sitting in the break room one day talking with some of the ladies in the office about our upcoming Easter blog posts. Since our ages vary and our backgrounds are so diverse, it was interesting to see how different our Easter traditions are. I decided to break away from our “normal” blog post and share with you some of these Easter ideas to hopefully inspire you to create some new Easter traditions of your own. If you have an Easter tradition or story that you would like to share, please post them in the comments below. I’d love to hear them!

By Mary Jo, Improvements Catalog DirectorWe’d “blow out” eggs (hole in each end to get the white and yolk out) all Lent and dye them on Good Friday (we usually had 4 dozen or so by then). We’d decorate the trees outside, the car antenna (worked really well until Kate tried that with the Ford Focus – the antenna slants back and she launched egg shells at frequent intervals as she drove to a friend’s house in Kentucky).

We also made egg shell flowers (tulips) out of the shells (pipe cleaner and watercolor paint). Here’s an article from 1943 that talks about eggshell tulips. I like the idea of just cracking off the end instead of breaking the egg on its midriff – (Who knew eggs had midriffs?!). Most people get squeamish about blowing out eggs, though any sharp point can be used to make the hole. I often use a salad fork or one of those corn cob thingies. Just remember – don’t squeeze the egg side to side hard enough to crush it. Any recipe that uses whole eggs (like an omelet) is a good candidate for a shell donor. And if you break it, it’s no big deal. Rinse the eggs before painting or dyeing. Coil the pipe cleaner a bit at the end – it makes it easier to glue.

I also make the sugar “panoramic eggs” about every 5 years or so to give away – I made them here for all the kids 2 years ago (see picture above).

The best year was the year I hid Kate’s basket in the coat closet. She never hung up her coat, so it was literally the last place she looked (and she needed a hint). The Easter bunny brought me my first roller skates and I found out how hard it was to stand up on them (the old kind, with the key).Mary Jo

By Debbie, Improvements Catalog Copywriter
To me, Easter is a breath of spring…even if we’re sometimes “blessed” with more snow than we get at Christmas. The day begins with a hunt for hidden Easter baskets (“you’re getting warmer!”) followed by a joyous church service. Then it’s back home for a yummy brunch complete with colorful hard-boiled Easter eggs that we “knock” together. The egg that doesn’t crack is declared the Easter egg champion. After breakfast, the kids are allowed to dive into their Easter basket treats. One of our family’s traditional candy favorites is the “Easter Nest” (see recipe below).

Here’s how the family story goes. Back during World War II, a shortage of sugar made it difficult to find prepared candy. Fortunately my mother saw this recipe in a magazine, and we’ve been enjoying these cute & scrumptious treats ever since. And it doesn’t hurt that they’re super easy to make!

Chocolate Easter Nests:Ingredients

12 oz. pkg. of chocolate chips

3-1/2 cups of Grape-Nuts Flakes cereal

Jellybeans

Directions
Prepare a cookie sheet by covering it with wax paper. Melt the chocolate chips in a pan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove pan from heat and stir in the Grape Nuts Flakes, making sure the cereal is evenly coated. Spoon out 12 portions onto the wax paper and use the spoon to shape nests (circles). Then place 4 or 5 jellybeans in the center. Place the Easter Nests in the refrigerator to harden.Debbie

Every Easter, our family has an Egg Fight after dinner with hardboiled eggs that have been decorated. Each person gets a partner and we line up. Everyone has one egg in their hand and we hit the eggs together. If yours cracks you are out. The last 2 eggs without a crack fight for the championship.-Kelsey

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